If you have a physical disability that prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits. However, you can also qualify for SSD benefits if you have a mental health condition that keeps you from working. Proving disability from a mental health condition can be a difficult task, but a Social Security Disability attorney can help you fight for the benefits you need to live and flourish.
Disability for Mental Health Illnesses
The Social Security Administration (SSA) currently recognizes 11 categories of mental disorders that are eligible for disability benefits payments, which include such common mental illnesses as:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Major depressive disorder
- Anxiety and OCD
- Borderline personality disorder
- Autism spectrum disorders
- Anorexia and bulimia
- PTSD
- Neurodegenerative disease (e.g., Alzheimer’s, dementia)
In order to be eligible for benefits under the SSA, you must have an official diagnosis of a recognized condition that is expected to prevent you from working for at least 12 months. If your mental health condition doesn’t fall under a recognized disorder, you can still get benefits if your condition is medically equivalent to a listed condition.
How Does the SSA Rate Your Degree of Impairment?
Once it establishes your basic eligibility, the SSA will perform an exhaustive review of your condition to determine whether you qualify for benefits. The SSA assesses the severity of mental health disorders across four evaluation criteria called “paragraph B” criteria, which include:
- Ability to remember, understand, and apply information at work
- Capacity to interact with others in social and professional environments
- Degree of concentration, persistence, and ability to maintain pace with cognitive tasks
- Ability to manage behavior and regulate emotions
Then, the SSA uses the following five-point rating system to represent the individual’s level of functioning in each category:
- No limitation
- Mild limitation
- Moderate limitation
- Marked limitation
- Extreme limitation
You must have at least one extreme limitation in a category or marked limitations in at least two categories to qualify for disability benefits.
How to Prove Disability Due to Mental Illness
One of the most challenging parts of applying for SSD benefits is proving the nature and extent of mental disability. The SSA might review the following evidence to make a determination:
- Evidence from medical sources, such as psychiatrists, physicians, clinical social workers, and other licensed medical professionals
- Statements from friends, family, employer, and others familiar with your mental state and ability to function daily
- Records from school, vocational training, and other work-related training programs
- Longitudinal evidence demonstrating illness, such as mental health history, chronic unemployment/homelessness
- Personal testimony and other evidence concerning your limitations and daily functioning, such as journal entries
When you submit your disability application, you will also submit all relevant evidence of your disability. The SSA may also require you to attend a separate mental health screening from an approved medical professional. The SSA may request additional evidence during the waiting period after submitting your application, so it’s important to respond to these requests in a timely manner.
Contact an Indiana Social Security Disability Attorney Today
The process of applying for SSD benefits for mental illness might seem like an intimidating prospect. Thankfully, an attorney can help streamline it. Attorney Joe Wambach has over a decade of experience practicing disability law and has helped thousands of individuals across the Midwest access the benefits they are entitled to. When it’s your health and well-being on the line, you need an attorney who will use every resource and strategy to secure a favorable resolution.
Contact Wambach Disability Law online or call us today to schedule a case consultation with a Social Security Disability attorney in Evansville.